Generally, a top guide is mounted on the tip of a fishing rod which carries at its root portion a fishing reel and is provided at an intermediate portion between the root and the tip portions with a plurality of intermediate line guides so that a fishing line wound on a spool is drawn out therefrom and led out from the tip of the fishing rod through the intermediate guides and the top guide. A fishing rig, for example, a lure, is attached to the utmost end of the fishing line for fishing.
The conventional top guide, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4, is constructed such that at one lengthwise end of a tubular mounting portion B mounted to tip A of the fishing rod is fixed a metallic outer ring C at a line guide ring E comprising outer ring C and a guide ring D preferably of ceramic and fixed to the inner periphery thereof. A reinforcing stay F to prevent line guide ring E from inclining with respect to mounting portion B is mounted across a lengthwise intermediate portion of mounting portion B and one side of outer ring C at line guide ring E.
In a case where the fishing rod is provided at tip A thereof with a top guide constructed as described above and at its root with a fishing reel and a lure is attached to the utmost end of the line so as to carry out lure fishing, when the line having the lure attached thereto is wound up excessively on the spool, the lure may hit line guide ring E at the top guide. In this case, tip A, when made soft and easily flexible, deflects to buffer an impact by the lure, whereby there is no problem, but when made hard and difficult to deflect, line guide ring E is subjected to an impact load when hit by the lure, thereby causing a problem in that guide ring D may break or dislodge from outer ring C.